Another racist policy from Southa Africa?

Question

UCT admission policy 'racist' - According to Kemp, the guidelines stipulated that black students obtain an average of 74% to qualify for medical studies, coloureds 78%, Indians 88% and whites 91%.

Why is this policy based on race rather than economic conditions - there are poor whites who get a poor education & wealthy colureds who get a good education.

As far as I can see this policy is just lowering standards!..

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_2339806,00.html

Answer 1

I can't really comment on your country's situation except to say that a qualification to Oxford or Cambridge is much harder to achieve from a sink school in an Inner London Comprehensive than it is from an ivory towered public school like Eton, Wellington, Radley etc...therefore the applications are regarded differently.  I think this is only fair to be honest.  As it is, entrance to these colleges is still overwhelmingly dominated by those from public school.

Answer 2

Do you call it racist or balancing out the society to adjust the malpractices of the millions of years of discriminatory practice by White Masters with big guns?

Answer 3

Sorry- I am too bemused by the idea of millions of years of white oppression to answer thsi question sensibly.

Farouk bin liner - what a total mong.

Answer 4

Yes, and it causes further racial division, as it is government mandated rules that FORCE you to consider people BASED ON RACE.  If the government of South Africa really cared to help the disadvantaged, it would offer them equal education when they are young so that they could compete at an equal level-- not just make some racist policy that only reinforces the stereotype that blacks are less capable.  This policy hurts everyone, increases racial division and stereotyping, and  does nothing for the vast majority of the poor who receive substandard or no education.

Answer 5

you're perfectly correct. If they do adjust their criteria, it should be based on economic conditions of the pupil, not on their race. Equally, there are some very well-educated and well-off black pupils from affluent families, but they'll not have to work as hard as a poorer, less affluent white child from a poor working-class family. It's racial segregation all over again, so what is it achieving? Sounds like it's just going to create a poor standard of non-white medics.

Furthermore, the differences in the grades ranging from 74% to 91% are far too great.

It would be more acceptable if it were :

Pupils from poorer and less affluent backgrounds : Pass of 86%

Pupils from middle-range economic families : Pass of 88%

Pupils from well-off affluent famlies : Pass of 90%.